CJP calls for immediate steps to control population

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday called for  immediate steps to control over increasing population in the country, ARY News reported.

Addressing a symposium on population control, organized by the Law and Justice Commission here in Islamabad, the CJP said that increasing population of the country demand immediate attention, as underdeveloped countries like Pakistan, have limited resources.

“No attention was paid to control population in the country for last 60 years,” lamented the CJP.

The CJP maintained that basic resources like water and food are getting scarce while our population is growing at an alarming rate.

Terming the education, a prime tool to control populace, the CJP said that “we will be facing severe problems in future if we fail to control over increasing population.”

The top judge said it’s our responsibility to create ease for the upcoming generation, the executive has to take initiatives with regard to curbing increasing population.

“Legislation is the need of hour,” Justice Nisar said.

Pakistan’s population is swelling at an alarming rate and if measures are not taken it will double in 30 years.

On November 20, the centre and the provinces decided to form task forces within their jurisdictions to control rapid population growth.

The task forces is headed by the prime minister at the national level and by the respective chief ministers at the provincial levels.

While taking suo motu notice of the unchecked population growth in the country, the Supreme Court in June had constituted a committee to formulate a uniform policy to defuse the population bomb.

Recommendations of population growth task force

1. Establish national and provincial task forces for steering, providing oversight and taking critical decisions to reduce population growth, low fertility rate and increase contraceptive prevalence rate.
2. Ensure universal access to FP/RH services.
3. Federal government to create a five-year non-lapsable special fund for reducing population growth rate with an annual allocation of Rs10 billion. The fund shall be set up exclusively from federal resources without any cut from provincial funds.
4. To introduce and implement legislation for population growth control.
5. To advocate and communicate a national narrative of reducing population growth rate and achieve socio-economic well-being for all.
6. Introduce curriculum on health, hygiene and population control in the primary, secondary, college and universities.
7. Contraceptive commodity security.
8. Joint declaration of Ulema made at Population Summit-2015, Islamabad to be widely advocated.